Apparatus for working with hydrogen under pressure.



c; BOSCH; APPARATUS FORYWORKiNG 'WITH HYDROGEN UNDERPRESSURE.APPLICATION FILED FEB. 5. l9l2.

Witt twee Pafenfed June 27, 1,916.

i 4 ks a? Off I UNITED STAS PA CARL BOSCH, or LUDwIGsHAFnn-on-THE-RHINE,GERMANY, assrenon r BADISC'EE ANILIN & SODA FABRIK, orLUDWIGSHAFEN-ON-THE-RHINE, GERMANY, a con PORATION.

APPARATUS FOR wonxrne Specification of Letters Patent.

WITH HYDROGEN UNDER PRESSURE.-

Paten'tedJune 2a, 1916.

Application filed February 5, 1912. Serial No. 675,618.

To all whom it may concern:

Be i known that I, CARL BoscH, sub ect of the'King of Prussia, residingat Ludwigshafen-on-the Rhine, Germany, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Apparatus for'Working with Hydrogen Under Pressure, .ofwhich the following is a spec1- when the high temperatures are empfication.

When working with hydrogen at ralsed temperature and under pressure iniron vesthe strength of the vessel sufiers to such an extent that aftera very short time it is no longer able to withstand the high pressurewhich isbeing employed. I have discovered that this is due to the actionof the hydrogen upon the carbon. The use inside such iron tube of alining awhich is chemically not acted upon by by rogen is of littlevalue, since, loyed, practically all substances are pervious to hydrogenunder pressure, so that, although the quantity of hydrogen whichdiffuses through the walls of the tube is only minute in comparison withthe total quantity of gases treated in such tube, yet in course of timethis small quantity is suflicient to act on the carbon contained in theiron of the tube to such an extent as to deteriorate the resisting[power of the tube.-

I have found that I can work conveniently with flowing hydrogen undercontinuous pressure and at raisedtemperatures if the vessel in which thereaction is being car- 'ried out and within which the high pressure isbeing maintained, be surrounded by some kind'of structure which iscapable of supporting the inner vessel, but which itself readily allowsany gas to escape which may diffuse through the Walls of the innervessel,

so that it itself'is not placed under pressure.

This can beefi'ected, for instance, by surrounding the inner vessel,whichis provided with 'inlet and 'outlet'for the gases and which for thesake of conwith a series of steel or a suitable network of bars, or thetube may be covered with a second tube which is perforated, theessential conmay be described,

'-dition being that the outer tube, which is supporting the inner tube,is not impervious to the hydrogen which diffuses through; the inner tubeat pressures employed; It is most convenient the high temperatures andhydrogenjunder continuous pressure and at to construct the'outerperforated tube network or rlngs or the like of steel, while the innertube, in which the hydrogen is contained under pressure and heat, may beconstructed either of steel, or it may be preferred to employsomematerial which does not conta n carbon, such for. instanee aswrought 1IOI1 (practically free froni' car- 'bon), nickel, silver, andthe like,

The apparatus made according to this invention 1s partlcularly useful inthe catalytic production of ammonia from its elements D and E representtubes by' which the gases are led into andout of the vessel, both theinlet and the outlet being at the same end of the vessel, while the tubeD' is continued 'toward the other end of the vessel, so that a propercirculation of the gases may be insured.

Now what I claim is .1.' Apparatus for working with flowing hydrogenunder continuous pressure and at raised temperatures, comprising aninner vessel which is of itself incapable of permanently sustaining thepressure employed,

means for supporting the said vessel to enable 1t to sustain thepressure, winch means are not capable of retaining gas under pressureand means for supplying gases to and from the said vessel.

2. Apparatus for working with flowing hydrogen under continuous pressureand at raised temperatures comprising aninner vessel which is chemicallyresistive to the action of hydrogen, but which is incapable of itselfpermanently sustaining the pressure em-- ployed, means for supportingthe said ves-. sel to enable it to sustain the pressure,which means arenot capable of retaining gas under pressure and means for supplyinggases to and from the said vessel.

,3. Apparatus for working with flowing 2% I gs raised temperaturescomprising an inner "essel which is free. from carbon and is" chemicallyI'QSlStlVB to the action. ofhydrd gen, but which is incapable of itselfperminently sustaining the pressure employed, means for supportlng thesaid vessel to en? able it to sustain the pressure which means are notcapable of retaining gas under pressure and means for supplying from thesaid vessel.

4. Apparatus for Working with flowing hydrogen under continuous pressureand at raised temperatures comprising a tube of wrought iron surroundedand supported by a perforated steel tube and provided with means forsupplying gas to and from the said wrought iron tube.

5. Apparatus ,for working with flowing gases to and 1' pressure, surroun2o 1ov ens which. ene-biei 0- pressur the sui 1s showing any gas whichmay diffuse t the said vessel to escape.

in testimony whereof I have here rny hand in the presence of twosubwitnesses. CARL BGSCH.

Yvitnessesr Y JLALEG. LLOYD, A. O. TITTMANN.

